Tink, A Cross Eyed Cat With Attitude

Tink sitting for a Cat Canoe photo shoot

Introducing Tink

Tink is a cat with an abbreviated name to fit her petite body. Tink, a cat with a staccato name to fit her punchy attitude. Tink, who gets called "Dink" when her Male Authority Figure is annoyed with her. Yes, this is Tink.

Tink's Background Story

It was 2015, and I was sad because I only had one cat. I imagined that Retro was sad because he did not have another animal who would speak fluent Cat (we try, but honestly, we suck at this language). So I imagined that Retro would like a playmate or cuddle pal. I discovered that Purrfect Pals, a cat sanctuary and adoption group in Arlington, Washington, had a cross eyed kitty that I might be interested in. Her shelter name was "Jenny" and she was staying at the Purrfect Pals adoption center in the Woodinville PetSmart store (you can now find the adoptable PurrfectPals kitties at their sanctuary in Arlington, Denny's Pet World in Kirkland, Petco in Issaquah, and Petsmart in Renton.)

"Jenny" was available for adoption from PurrfectPals

Look at that face! I immediately knew I wanted to meet this "Jenny", so I told my husband, "I'm going to Woodinville to meet a cat" and quietly packed a cat carrier in the car. (Rule #1 when adopting a cat: don't ask your SO for permission)

The First Photo Shoots

About a week after moving into her new home, I had settled on the name "Tink" and decided it was time to teach this wee lass how to be a photo model. This photo is from our first modeling session:

We told Tink to "sit and stay" and that seems to be working...for now

That photo shoot went really well actually. She eventually sat down and just looked cute. The tastiest cat treats were used to reinforce the pleasure of being a cat model. 

Tink is paid for her modeling. Retro (right, coming into frame) would also like to be paid for modeling. 

Soon we learned that Tink likes Temptations cat treats even more, but Retro loves the Cat-Man-Do dehydrated chicken, so I just had to buy a case of each. Note: I'm not good at training cats, but I have observed that Tink seems very trainable. She's quite food motivated and learned quickly that the photography area = treats, and she will always show up when I turn the modeling lights on. 

 Tink (left) is a food motivated cat. Retro (right) is not a food motivated cat. 

The first photo shoot went so well that we tried it again just a few days later. Retro and Tink had been living together over 10 days, and I was working every day to socialize them and they weren't buddies, but they were OK sharing space with each other. 

Retro sits in the Cat Ball while Tink gives him a kiss

The photo shoot started well. Retro took the lead and got right into the Cat Ball, and curious Tink came over to check it out. The photo session started like this:

Tink sits for her second modeling session and things seem to be going OK

So yeah, things seem to be going OK. Tink got in and sat down, which is really what I need, right? This is what happened next. 

via GIPHY

She was just - zooming - around the bed. In and out and up and down and around and around. At that point we shared the opinion that "the cat is broken" and I questioned my judgements about cats, so I tried again a few days later. Our third photo shoot started off well, with these results:

Tink's third photo shoot

But then Tink got distracted, forgot all that she had learned about professional modeling, and this happened: 

Tink stops to groom during her second Cat Ball photoshoot

Every photoshoot was starting off great, with Tink showing a lot of potential as a model, then she would lose focus and the photoshoot would just fall apart. "At least I'm getting funny photos" I said to my husband, who was still wondering if we "could return that defective cat".

Well, Now What?

We let Tink sit out the next few shoots, getting these great photos of Retro and visiting guest Mika instead:

Mika came to visit for a few weeks while his human did some traveling. 

Mayne Tink learned something while watching those shoots because she got right to work when we photographed our prototype whale Cat Ball® cat beds.

 Retro was already comfortable when Tink arrived

 Maybe she was just getting more comfortable, or maybe she learned by watching, because Tink is a dependable and skilled cat bed model now. She arrives on time, she works hard, and we get the job done. Almost all of our cat bed product photos now feature Tink, she's become a great model. 

Tink gives a little blep while demonstrating the Cat Canoe modern cat bed